Combination-lock



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J; D. CRAIG COMBINATION LOCK.

Patented Feb. 7,1893.

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COMBINATION LOCK. N0. 491,158.- Patented Feb. '7, 1-893.

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J. D. CRAIG. COMBINATION LOOK.

fun [491,158. atented F6b."7, 139s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES D. CRAIG, OF .ROGERS PARK, ASSIGNCR TO THE KEYLESS LOCK COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINATION-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,158, dated February '7, 1893.

Application filed May 28, 1891. Serial No. 394,354. (No model.)

' the operative mechanism of the interior of the lock, the boltbeing projected and the tumbler key about to be thrown out of engagement from within the radial registering notches in the peripheries of the tumblers. Fig. 2 is a similar view excepting that the bolt is drawn within the casing, and thetumbler key is held in engagement within the aforesaid radial notches under the changed condition resulting from the opposite rotation of the cam plate, the engagement of the key being maintained by an adjacent flange until a reverse movement of the cam plate again projects the bolt and relocks it in its most outwardly thrust position. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on'the line :r-m of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation view of the lock casing with the operating hand knob attached, showing the position the lock would occupy (when constructed as a rim lock) on a door,- the lower part of the case being broken away to show the construction of a dead lock slide catch. Figs. 5 to 14 inclusive, are plan views in detail of the various operative parts of mechanism to be assembled in the lock case about the standard, which latter is considered as projecting upwardly in Figs. 1 and 2, the said parts being designed to be put together in the reverse order of their being numbered. Fig. 15 is an enlarged plan view of the index tumbler.

Heretofore the aim of inventors of combination locks, appears to have been chiefly devoted to devising constructions designed to baffle the eiiorts of the lock picking expert and the burglar without a pronounced aim at economic modes of construction. In my invention I have kept the primary object of difliculty of picking steadily in View, while also directing due attention to the production of a combination or permutation lock embodying structural simplicity and economy.

My invention relates to that class of locks known as combination or permutation looks,

it being, more especially, an improvement on the lock for which Patent No. 408,795 was granted me, August 13, 1889.

It has for its objects to provide a construction wherein a tumbler is possessed of a slot or slots in its body of such peculiarity of termination as to render it a matter essential to finding acombination that acertain direction of commencing the rotation of the driver tumbler be practiced, according to which side of said tumbler is upper most in assembling the parts on the standard. Also, to provide a driver tumbler of such construction as to throw the tumblerkey out of engagement.

independent in. character from the index tumbler, and is additional thereto; also to provide a construction whereby the locks may readily be made, as it were, rights and lofts by having the cam plate carrying the dog of such peculiarity of form as to render the same practically reversible. Also, to provide the cam plate with two entirely different cam faces for operating on different parts of the sliding bolt, in the economizing of space around the standard and between circumscribing flanges or parts.

The invention consists of the various constructions and combinations of parts as expressed in the claims.

A is the base-plate of the lock case provided with a right-angled flange or rim A,

extending entirely around its edges excepting where an opening A is left for the end of the bolt C to lie within and be projected through. The base-plate has twocurved flanges a, a arising from its interior, they preferably being cast integral therewith, the front portions to of the flanges being just sufficiently near each other to afford a passage way between them for the bolt C. The curved flange a is provided with a top plate a having an inner curved face a, to occupy a position immediately in the rear of the back of the key 61 when it is rotated in the act of locking and unlocking, in order to securely hold the key in engagement with the tumbler notches until such time as it is desired to throw it out of engagement in throwing off the combination.

B is a hollow standard rigidly affixed to the base-plate A, or formed integrally therewith, having a shouldered base portion 1), and a smaller super-base portion 1). The lower enlarged or base portion 17 of the hollow standard is designed to occupy a position in the slot 0' of the bolt C and afford a guiding bearing for the inner forked end of said bolt, while the super-base portion 1) is designed to receive all the tumblers (it being of circular form in cross-section), and afford a bearing for them to rotate about, excepting the top or driver tumbler which is provided with a central opening of rectangular shape for positive engagement of an interior rotary bolt B that is squared in its upper part B to correspond, and rigidly secured by a screw B to the knob O that operates the locking and unlocking mechanism on turning the same by hand. The bolt 0 is provided with a pin 0 for the outer cam face of the cam-plate D to bear against in projecting the bolt, and with a pin 0 for the curved bearing face that is, the concaved part 61 bordering the slot 01 in the cam plate to bear against in retracting the bolt. The cam-plate D has a circular aperture cl which is of a size suitable for receiving therein the annular disk E, which latter rests on the top of the shoulder of the base portion Z) of the standard B and laps slightly over the interior edges of the forked end of the bolt C. The annular disk E has a central circular aperture e to fit around the super-base portion Z2 and turn thereupon, and also has a pin 6', projecting at right angles to its top surface, to engagein any one of aseries of holesf' (or a slot f in the line of said series) of the annular disk F.

It will be observed that in assembling the parts as far as described, the bolt 0 is first placed in the lock case with its pin 0, 0 up and its forked end inclosingthe enlarged base b of the hollow standard B; then the camplate is placed thereupon, the slot 61 inclosing the pin 0 and with the tumbler key (1 immediately in the rear of the top plate a and then the annular disk E is placed upon the top or shouldered portion of the base I) of the standard B, the central opening 6 allowing its fitting around the super-base b, the

outer portion of the annular disk E fitting snugly within the central circular aperture d of the cam plate D. Then the annular disk F is placed on the standard B, its central aperture fallowing it to inclose the superbase I), the pin 0 being passed up through either one of the holes f or through the slot f in the said annular disk E which latter is placed directly upon the top surface of the annular disk E. After this comes the first washer W.

The parts E and F make up, when put together, the first tumbler, as in the patented lock above referred to, the only difference in the construction of the said parts being that the annular disk F is provided with a slot f in the line of its series of holes f, instead of there being only a series of holes. The pin 6' of the first tumbler E F (the two-part tumbler) may be placed in any one of the series of holes f or in the slot f of the part F of said first tumbler, and the pin e is made of such length that notwithstanding the first washer W is placed immediately on top of the first tumbler E F, and between that and the second tumbler G, that its upper end will take operative bearing in the arc-shaped slot 9' of said second tumbler, the said slot being of sufficient width to allow the pin 6' to freely travel therein to an operative position,'at one end or the other of said slot. The annular disk F is provided with a radial notch f in its periphery for the tumbler key 01 to engage in. The tumbler G is provided with an arc-shaped slot g',a pin g and a radial notch 9 substantially as in the patented construction, having a central opening 9 allowing it to fit around. the super-base b, and serves as asecond tumbler in the same manner. Upon the second tumbler is placed the second washer WV. Then comes the third tumbler H, which is serrated and notched throughout its entire periphery-this being an index tumbler without any smooth peripheral surface portion,- either elevated or otherwise. It is shown as provided with three arc-shaped slots h 71 71 in its body, and three radial notches 71 77, 77,, in its periphery, and five serrations 71 between each two radial notches,passing from one to the other around the tumbler. Its central opening 71 allows it to fit around the super-baseb of the hollow standard. It is not intended to limit the arc-shaped slots, the radial notches or the serrations to the precise numbers shown.

It will be observed that the arc-shaped slots h, h h have the one corresponding end of each so placed that the pin g of the tumbler G will come either below the hollow portion of a serration (the depressed part or hollow between each two contiguous teeth) or below a radial notch when placed operatively in that particular end of each of said arc-shaped slots. In other Words, when the ping is in that end of either of said slots it will be on the same radial line either with the hollow of a serration or with a radial notch. In the illustration given in Fig. '7, it would only come beneath a single radial slot in said particular 'end,as would be the case when the pin g is in the arc-shaped slot 71 at the end thereof nearest the arc-shaped slot h. The other end of each of said arc-shaped slots will not allow the pin g engaging operatively therein to come directly beneath either the hollow of a serration or the apex of a tooth, but half way between.

It will be further observed, that the radial notches h, h h come directly in what otherwise would be the hollows of regular serrations. The result of this construction is that when the lock is set on a combination, the tumbler key will drop and hit between the top and the bottom of a serration when the knob is turned in one direction, providing it would no so hit if turned in the other, in an attempt to get or find the combination; and as no one,

without previous knowledge as to which direction to commence turning to get the combination,can obviate the liability of being frustrated, it adds an embarrassing obstacle to one attempting to pick the lock. This index tumbler is reversible, it only being necessary to have the pin h put in to project on the other side, and hence its adaptability for furnishing combinations is thereby doubled.

In the enlarged view Fig. 15, of the index tumbler H, the latter is considered as divided into eighteen measurement sectors whereby to measure to the eye at a glance the lengths of the slots h, 773, 72 this number representing the sumof the serrations and the radial notches. It will be observed that the pin g, placed in one end of the radial slot h would be beneath the hollow of a serration,

while at the other end it would neither be directly beneath the apex of a tooth nor the 1101- low between the teeth in the series of serrations. The peculiarity of one particular end of each arc-shaped slot falling beneath the hollow of a serration or a radial notch, and the other end presenting the confusing features above described, will be apparent, also, on inspection of the arc-shaped slots h and h v in said enlarged view. Vhile one corresponding end of each of the slots h h h ,is thus shown as being directly beneath the hollow of a serration or the central point of a radial tumbler key notch, it is not intended to limit the use of those slots to commencing at such points,-nor to ending precisely as shown and described. Corresponding ends should preferably have similar relations to depressions in the periphery (of the tumbler) in the immediate vicinity, or nearest the radial lines passing through said ends and continuing to the periphery. Furthermore, it is not intended to limit the said slots h k 71 to precise arc-shaped slots, as they might be rectangular, or oblong and still answer to allow the travel of a tumbler pin therein and to work efiectively. 4

In geometry, a segment of a circle is defined as a portion of a circle bounded by an arc and its chord and a sector of a circle as a portion bounded by two radii and the arc they intercept. The part of the index tumbler thatl denominate as segmental part of a sector, is not the part of a circle, known as asegment of a circle, bounded by an arc and its subtending chord, but the outer or larger that it is that part (or segmental part) of a sector included between the two radial lines that pass through the ends of said slot (either of the arc-shaped slots h b if) and located exteriorly. to said slot; in other words, that part of the sector between the slot and the peripheral arc of said sector and said ends of the slot through which the radii pass areto be regarded not as theextreme terminal points of the slot, but as the points at which chord,but as subtending (cutting below) a the axis line of the pin 9 is located when the 7 segmental part of a sector of the index tumbler; and the arc of said sector is to. be regarded as being one passing through the bases of the teeth or projections resulting from the production of the serrations and the radial notch or notches in the index tumbler,- or, in other words, as beingthe arc of a sector coincident with a part of the arc of a circle passing through the innermost points of the peripheral depressions.

On further inspection of the enlarged view of the index tumbler H, as represented in Fig, 15, wherein a diagrammatic illustration of said tumbler (as divided into eighteen measurement sectors of equal sizevby means of rasubtended by a slot is the part above the slot h, and further bounded by the radial dotted lines It and h and the are which said radial dotted lines intercept. And it will be further. observed, that the slot h cuts entirely through two of 'said measurement sectors and partly through two more measurement sectors, the left hand end of theslot h extending so far into the partly cut measurement sector at that end as to allow the pin 9 when engaging operatively therein, to come directly beneath the hollow of the nearest serration above. The other end of the slot; it extends so far into the partly cut measurement sector at that end, as to allow the pin y when engaging operatively therein,to come directly beneath an intermediate portion of the periphery of the index tumbler between a hollow of a'serration and it an apex of a tooth of a serration, that is,ha1f

way between. Accordingly, the part above I v the slot h, and included between the two radial dotted. lines it and h (said radial dotted lines extending through the ends of the slot h at those precise points wherein the axis line of pin 9 would be when said pin comes into operative engagement at either end of said slot) is a segmental part of a sector, and the slot h is one subtending (between the dotted lines It and h the said segmental part of a sector. The peripheral arc of the said segmental part of a sector, it is apparent on inspection, does not correspond in length to the distance between any two serrations,or to the distance between the hollow of a serration and a radial notch anywhere in the tumblers circumference. The same peculiarity exists in each of the other segmental parts of sectors of the index tumbler H, subtended by the slots 72 and h The driver tumbler I has a rectangular central opening 1' allowing it to fit upon the squared portion B of the spindle bolt B connected to the knob 0. It has two are-shaped slots 6 in either of which the pin h of the index tumbler H may be placed, and

locking.

it has three V-shaped notches i i i in its peripheryin either of which the tumbler key may engage at the time of locking and un- B-eing the last tumbler'it is not provided with a pin as a part thereof,- and is reversible, thus doubling its capability of pro-' ducing combinations. The tumblers G and H are reversible,- it being, however, necessary ineach case to change the pin of each to the oth'eli'lida. The part F is reversible, the pin 6 of. part E entering a' hole or the slot from either side. By this feature of the reversibility of tu-mblers,and of one part F of the two part tumbler E F,the capability of setting up'the tumblers on a vast number of comment not admitting of like reversibility of parts.

As indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 14, I may adopt a modification by which I can dispense with the cam-plate in certain instances, by pivotingthe lever or dog carrying the tumbler key directly to the bolt, with the provision of a guard flange to hold its key in the notches of the tumblers until at the time of complete locking of the bolt. In this case I would depend on gravity, or a spring, to 1 cause the tumbler key to drop into the registering tumbler notches.

I purpose constructing the operative parts of such form as to render them readily applicable for use in looks in making them rights or lefts. The cam-plate is so made that by putting the pins, for holding the washers, to project from the opposite side shown in Fig. 13, and placing a pivoted spring lever, having a tumbler key, on the opposite side also,-a manufacturer may readily make use of said cam-plate in either a right or left lock case, while all the tumblers and washers would be as applicable in the one case as in the other.

Within the lower hollow portion of the knob O is a coiled springP surrounding the squared end B of the bolt B, a pin passing through said bolt above the spring to keepvit from slipping up thereon, the lower end of the spring resting on the top of the driver tumbler, I, and holding all the tumblers together under slight spring pressure. The bolt B is passed up through the hollow standard B, the enlarged bolt head 13, by its shoulder in taking a bearing against the outside of the case, affording a means of preventing the bolt from passing too far through and presenting also a bearing surface for rotation on the case.

The person using the lock depends principally on the sense of touch,though he may, in some cases, use the sense of hearing as well, in order to find the combination, in counting the tremors of the tumbler key as the serrations of the index plate are rotated beneath said key, the mode of operation being similar to that employed in the patented lock above referred to. The tumbler key, in throwing off the combination in this case, does not need to be lifted out of the slots in 1 the tumblers, but,-*owing to the stand still I or dead stop of the cam-plate at the moment :of completion of locking, and the circuml stance that the tumbler key has at that time just passed beyond the guarding action of I causes the impinging bordering portion of whichever Wedge-shaped or V-shaped notch j thereof the tumbler key happens to be en- 1 gaged in, to Wedge or slide out said tumbler key,--lifting it thereby out of all the other :registering tumbler notches, as well,t-hus throwing off the combination.

binationsis greatly increased over an arr'ange- A catch slide Q is provided with a friction g to engage in the notch c in the underside of the bolt 0. The said catch slide is not intended to dead lock the bolt when the door is jlocked, but is used when the door is unjlocked, and it serves, in a measure,- to prejvent persons meddling with the lock when not in use.

Having thus fully described my invention and its mode of operation, what I claim is,-

1. A index tumbler having serrations and a radial notch or notches in its periphery, v and provided with a slot in its body subtends ing a segmental part of a sector thereof whose peripheral arc does not correspond in length to the distance between any two serrations,-

or the distance between the hollow of a serration and a radial notch, in combination with a bolt and with means for operating the tumbler.

2. An index tumbler having depressions in the form of serrations and a radial notch or notches in its periphery, and provided with two or more slots in its body, each of said slots subtending a segmental part of a sector thereof whose peripheral are surface differs in length from the distance between the hollows of any two serrations,-or the distance IIO between the hollow of a serration and a radial notch,-the corresponding end of each of said slots sustaining a similar relation to the peripheral depressions, in combination with a'lbolt and with means for operating the tumb er.

3. A reversible index tumbler providedwith serrations and one or more radial notches in its periphery, and having slots in its body to receive the pin of another tumbler, the corresponding end of each of said slots affording room for the pin totake operative position therein and have a similar relation to a serration depression or a radialnotch depression in the'periphery immediately above, the dif- --ferent ends of each slot being of different relation to immediately adjacent depressions in the periphery of the tumbler, in combination with a bolt and with means for operating the tumbler.

4. A driver tumbler connected with a knob, and provided with one or more tumbler key notches, and an index tumbler provided with serrations and a radial notch or notches in its periphery, and having slots in its body to receive a pin of another tumbler, the corresponding end of each of the slots having the same relation to adjacent depressions in the periphery while the other end of each of the slots has a distinctive relation of its own to adjacent peripheral depressions, in combination with a bolt and means for operating the tumbler.

5. A driver tumbler provided with one or more slots in its body, and having one or more tumbler key notches in its peripheral portion, and having a portion of the peripheral surface elevated above the rest, and means for positively engaging and turning said driver tumbler, in combination with an index tumbler, provided with serrations in its periphery and'one or more radial notches therein.

6. A driver tumbler connected positively with a knob spindle, and provided with one or more tumbler key notches, and an index tumbler provided with serrations in its periphery and one or more radial notches, and having slots in its body to receive a pin of another tumbler, one corresponding end'of each of said slots afiording room for the pin to take operative position therein and be, at

the same time, either beneath the hollow of a serration or beneath a radial notch while the other corresponding end of each slot will not allow the pin to take operative position therein, and be, at the same time, either beneath the hollow of a serration or beneath a radial notch.

- .7. A drivertumbler connected to a knob and provided with a tumbler key receiving notch ornotches and with slots in its body,

a reversible index tumbler provided with serrations and radial notches in its periphery, and slots in its body, in combination with one or more tumblers, a sliding bolt, a tumbler key, and mechanism connecting thelatter with the sliding bolt.

8. A driver tumbler provided with an elevated smooth are surface and having a V- shaped notch in its periphery in combination with a bolt and with means for operating thetumbler.

9. A driver tumbler having a V-shaped notch or notches in its periphery, atumbler having a notch or notches in its periphery, a sliding bolt, a tumbler key carried bya dog or lever, and a flange having a circular face bearing against the tumbler key.

10. A two-part tumbler, one part being'an.

annular disk provided with a pin, and the other part an annular disk provided with a series of holes with a slot intervening, each of said apertures being adapted to receive the pin in combination with a bolt and with means for operating the tumbler.

11. A reversible cam-plate having an exterior bearing face and an interior bearing face, and provided with a central opening to fit around the base of the standard,in combination with a sliding bolt.

12. A reversible sliding lockbolt, and a reversible cam plate in combination with a driver tumbler and one or more tumblers, each tumbler being provided with a tumbler key notch, in combination with a tumbler key and mechanism connecting the latterwith the bolt.

13. A look mechanism, in, WhitZh-all the single tumblers are reversible, in combination with a two-part tumbler one part of which is reversible, a sliding reversible bolt, a tumbler key and a reversible cam plate, and mechanism connecting the key and the cam-plate.

14. A driver tumbler having a tumbler key notch or notches, and a slot or slots to receive the pin of another tumbler, an index tumbler, a'tumbler key,a dog or lever and mechanism connecting the tumbler key and a sliding bolt, and a catch piece for engaging the bolt.

15. A reversible index tumbler havingserrations and one or more radial notches in its periphery, and a driver tumbler having a smooth arc-shaped elevated surface and a notch in the periphery and an arc-shaped slot in its body, in combination with a tumbler having a radial notch in its periphery, and a latter in the notch during a part of the rotary movement of the tumbler.

18. A tumbler having a V-shaped notch in its periphery provided with inclinedsides for throwing out a tumbler key, in combination with a tumbler having a notch in its periphery, and a tumbler key for engaging in the notch of each, and means for operating the tumbler key. 7

19. A cam-plate having an exteriorbearing or cam face and an interior bearing or cam face, in combination with a sliding bolt provided with pins or projections for said cam faces to engage.

20. A base plate havin'ginterior flanges and In testimony whereofI atliX my signaturein 25 presence of two witnesses.

JAMES D. CRAIG. 'Witnesses:

CHAS. F. RENNE, GEO. O. LOWELL. 

